| Unit name | Research Project |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PANMM0031 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. James |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Project Proposal |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is your opportunity to gain direct experience of research in the biomedical sciences, with instruction and guidance from experts in the field. You will be implementing a project based on your review and appraisal of the literature conducted through the Project Proposal. You will gain skills in performing experiments, in analysis and interpretation of results and in presenting your data or findings to your supervisor(s) and to a wider audience, both in poster format and through a dissertation. You will develop troubleshooting skills that are fundamental for conducting cutting-edge research. In short, this unit covers the critical core of biomedical sciences research activity.
How does this fit in with your programme of study?
This mandatory unit represents the culmination of the Biomedical Sciences Research MSc programme. During this unit, you will actively engage in research with specialist supervision. This unit involves the application of all the skills relevant to biomedical sciences research that you have developed throughout the programme. These include: understanding and appraisal of published data, the design and execution of experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, presentation and communication of research findings and the writing of a dissertation.
An overview of content
The Unit consists of a research project exploring a contemporary biomedical sciences subject, which may involve laboratory work and/or bioinformatic analysis. You will produce a dissertation to present your findings. This will also include a lay summary, allowing you to communicate your work to a non-specialist audience. You will also present your project in poster format to supervisors and fellow students at a course conference. The introduction to the dissertation will be brief, as an extensive background for the project is written and assessed as part of the Project Proposal unit. The dissertation is based on a research project that you will carry out in a subject area of your choosing from a list of project titles supplied by the Programme Director. You will work on your research project and dissertation under the guidance of your supervisor(s).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will gain experience in the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of experimental data. You will develop skills in the presentation and communication of scientific findings, both in written, oral and visual form. You will also gain experience of communicating complex scientific concepts to a non-specialist audience. You will gain confidence in working independently, with support from your supervisor, demonstrating organisation and time management skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Research Project you will be able to:
In this unit you will carry out experiments and/or bioinformatic analyses, and subsequently analyse and present the data generated. You will be expected to manage your time effectively and keep appropriate research records. You will improve your scientific writing skills while producing a dissertation in the format of a primary scientific paper. You will present a summary of your project as a poster and respond to questions at a course conference.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks:
You will have gained knowledge and experience of your specific research area including planning your experimental approach for your research project in the Project Proposal unit. In the Research Project, you will work with your supervisor(s) to plan and execute experiments or perform analyses, as appropriate for your subject area, to address an important research question in the field of biomedical sciences.
You will be supervised while carrying out experiments in the laboratory and/or bioinformatic analyses and will receive guidance on use of any project-specific software or data analysis tools. You will have regular meetings with your supervisor to discuss your approach and progress. You will submit a draft of your research project to your supervisor for formative feedback. You will receive support around communicating scientific concepts visually and orally.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Your written research project is the main part of the assessment for this unit (70% of mark); this includes a lay summary of your work. Your supervisor will also mark your technical and intellectual contributions to the research project (10%). You will produce a scientific poster explaining your research and present this in a course conference, demonstrating your ability to communicate complex scientific concepts visually and orally (20%).
When assessment does not go to plan
If you are unable to submit your research project dissertation by the deadline, you can request a coursework extension at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadline.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to the programme of study. The Board of Examiners will take into account any Exceptional Circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PANMM0031).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
